Let me preface this post with the obvious statement that everybody, not just NFL players, should avoid getting in trouble with the law. That goes without saying.

However, given the high profile of NFL players and the offseason the league endured last year off the field, you would hope NFL players would be on an even more heightened alert crime-wise. And you would hope that, given Ray Rice's travails (and the Ravens lately, in general), a Baltimore Ravens running back would be super duper aware of refraining from criminal activities.

Especially, a Ravens running back who is clearly expendable and not the foreseen bellcow running back for 2015, since Justin Forsett just re-upped with the team for three years, $9 million.

So it begs the question -- why are you so stupid, Bernard Pierce?

In case you missed it, Pierce, a backup running back for the Ravens last season, was popped for a DUI early Wednesday morning:

Ravens running back Bernard Pierce arrested for driving under the influence early Wednesday morning, according to Baltimore County poiice

Certainly, this crime is not of the magnitude of Ray Rice's domestic assault charge last season, in large part because Pierce's star is not even close to what Rice's was a year ago, but the crime could've been far more damaging if Pierce had gotten into an accident before being pulled over.

The Ravens responded swiftly and decisively, cutting Pierce less than a day after the incident. As it turns out, the only thing at which Pierce was remotely proficient on Wednesday morning was predicting his own fate. According to TMZ, here's a recap of Pierce's traffic stop:

As we previously reported, Pierce was initially pulled over around 2AM for speeding -- and then bombed his field sobriety test.

In the report, the officer asked Pierce how much he weighs -- and Pierce slurred, "530." The officer pressed him on it and he repeated it twice before correcting himself and saying, "230 pounds."

While he was being taken to a nearby police station, Pierce reportedly uttered, "Do you know what happened the last time a Ravens player got a DUI? I'm getting cut tomorrow, not like you care."

To Pierce's point, the Ravens have made their stance on these legal/criminal matters very clear in recent months.

In January, the Ravens made the announcement they'd be cutting defensive tackle Terrence Cody before the news broke that Cody was facing potential charges of animal cruelty, illegally possessing an alligator and possession of marijuana. Then, earlier this month, the Ravens released defensive back Victor Hampton less than 24 hours after news broke that he had been arrested for driving while intoxicated.

Now comes Pierce's arrest, which is all the more baffling considering the Ravens' aforementioned handling of players involved in criminal dustups. The problem for Pierce (as it may have been for Cody and Hampton) is that he's not that great at football. He averaged 3.9 yards per carry last season, and when the opportunity to seize the starting job was there for the taking, Pierce was surpassed quickly by Forsett, who himself was a true journeyman until his 1,300-yard breakout season in 2014.

Regardless, Pierce's impact has been felt in the Fantasy Crime League standings as the combination of his arrest and Hampton's arrest have taken the Ravens to a tie for first with the Green Bay Packers, who are being carried by Letroy Guion's bad day back in February.

Sean is a contributing freelance writer who covers Houston area sports daily in the News section, with periodic columns and features, as well. He also hosts afternoon drive on SportsRadio 610, as well as the post game show for the Houston Texans.